WFMT brings you a “musical getaway,” whether you’re enjoying the comfort of your cushiest armchair or exploring somewhere new!

A four-hour drive southwest from Chicago and just across the Mississippi River from St. Louis sits Edwardsville, Illinois. The small city — founder Chase Hopkins’ hometown — is the site of the state’s newest opera company.

Located on 12,000 acres in the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains, the rolling, expansive landscape of Tippet Rise provides an evocative complement for an art center and summer festival that combines music, sculpture, poetry, and nature.

With Earthbound Expeditions and Peter and Kathleen van de Graaff, WFMT listeners embarked on a classical music-oriented tour of Central Germany with Bach, Mendelssohn, and Clara Schumann at its center.

It’s not easy to get to Glyndebourne, and that’s the point. “We’re forcing people to slow down their busy lives,” says Gus Christie, the opera festival’s executive chairman, “and to come in and soak it all up.” Discover the multi-sensory experience – the aromas of the gardens, the taste of champagne bubbles, the sounds from the stage – that is Glyndebourne.

One of the most exciting things about working at WFMT over the years has been the opportunity to travel on music-themed trips, meeting new friends who share a love of classical music. In early September, I led a group of eleven listeners on a journey to Denmark and Norway, where we saw cosmopolitan capitals and incredible natural beauty. Along the …

“The goal of the show is very simple,” says the host of Now Hear This, violinist and conductor Scott Yoo. “To make sure that people try out classical music and give it a chance… If you want to get the most out of life, part of it is getting the most out of music.”

Wine and music pair together in perfect harmony. Check out these 6 pairings from maestro and wine ambassador Enrique Mazzola.

Glyndebourne, located in the England countryside, declares that it produces “no ordinary opera,” and one could certainly use a similar mantra for its stately, stunning gardens. Musicians and patrons alike gain inspiration from the visual splendor of Glyndebourne. And according to Glyndebourne’s head gardener Kevin Martin, the inspiration is mutual. “I get inspiration from the music but also from the …

It’s just a fact: road trips are better when live music is the destination!

Some of the most beautiful music ever composed originates from or was inspired by the British Isles. Weekend morning program host Maggie Clennon Reberg and Introductions host and producer Michael San Gabino have selected some of their favorites in this great British playlist!

Another fantastic trip with Earthbound Expeditions and WFMT! Although we visited the Metropolitan Art Museum, The Frick and the Guggenheim and had a tour of the city and Ellis Island, the highlights, of course, were the amazing concerts: Richard Strauss’ Ein Heldenleben with the New York Philharmonic and Semyon Bychkov, paired with the gorgeous and rarely-heard Bruch Two-Piano Concerto with …

There may be one city in the world that can be considered the capital of New Year’s celebrations and music, and that is Vienna, Austria. We asked several classical artists to share why they love living in this venerable European city.

WFMT listeners love to explore classical music destinations around the world. From September 22 to October 3, we enjoyed an Earthbound Expeditions trip filled with great concerts, great food, and great companionship throughout Poland and the Czech Republic.

As the WFMT Radio Network’s series from the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival returns, we asked participants what makes this location so enchanting.

Russia has been a place I’ve longed to visit for many years. I finally got my chance in September, joining a genial group of WFMT listeners and fellow music lovers for a fantastic adventure. Here are photos from our Russian adventure.

In 1985, William Christie, the founder and music director of the Baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants, was driving in the French countryside when he saw Thiré for the first time. Located in the Vendée region of France, an hour south of Nantes, Thiré has about 500 residents and is filled with sprawling corn and sunflower fields.

Concert halls today are so architecturally innovative that the buildings themselves draw visitors. The venues on this list are so spectacular, they’ll be sure to have you checking to see just how many more vacation days you have left.

When Carl Grapentine, host of WFMT’s Morning Program, first visited Berlin in 1965 as a student he immediately felt at home.

Rick Steves, America’s favorite European travel guide, said, “I don’t have the time to enjoy going to a lot of concerts in Europe because of the nature of my work, but I love music.” Even if you’re not jet-setting quite like Steves, you’re likely trying to pack a lot into your travels abroad. And if you’re curious to attend a …

For the last two weeks of September my wife Deb and I were treated to a cruise on the Rhine River thanks to YMT Vacations, one of WFMT’s loyal sponsors. Along with us were almost two-dozen WFMT listeners. The tour involved land transportation and sightseeing from Munich to Bonn, where we then boarded the A Rosa Viva for eight relaxing …